Automobile lighting system



H. P. J. EARNSHAW AUTOMOBILE LIGHTING SYSTEM July 6 1926. Re. 16,373

Original Filed Dec. 11. 1920 INVENTOR. Henry P. J. Earnshaw,

I 6 ATTORZEY.

I accom'lish these Reiasued July 6, 1926.

UNITED STATES PATENT- OFFICE.

HI KBY P. J'- EABNSHAW, 0F HYDE PARK, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOB, BY MESNE AS- smmms, TO IENDALITE CORPORATION, OF BOSTON, IASSAOHUSETTS A COB POBATION OF MASSACHUSETTS.

- AUTOMOBILE LIGHTING SYSTEM.

Original Io. 1,508,885, dated September 16, 1884, Serial llo. 430,024, nled December 11, 1920. Application for reissue filed larch 4, 1928. Serial No. 92,874.

In driving automobiles at night one difficulty which an operator experiences is that of seeing clearly the right band edge of the roadway when he. is turning out to meet an oncomin automobile and this is speclally true if t e oncoming automobile has bright or dazzling headlights, because the lights of said oncoming automobile are apt bhnd the operator thus making it almost im ossible for him to see the limits of the roa way. As a result of this, accidents frequently happen due to the fact that an operator Wlll turn his automobile too far out of the roadway and may run into the ditch or run into some obstruction, such as a tree or telephone le. Furthermore when meeting an auto-' mobile with headlights of high power, the operator can not'see clearly any pedestrians in the roadway ahead of him and this is also a source of danger.

It is the object of my invention to provide a novel means for illuminating the roadway ahead of an automobile by which all these dangers will be avoided. By means of my invention the right hand side of the roadway is highly illuminated so as to show up clearly the right hand edge of the road and any persons, trees,. telephone poles, or other obstacles on the right hand side and this is done in such a way as not to throw any glaring or confusing rays in the path of an oncoming automobile. With my invention an operator can always see how far it is safe for him to turn out in meeting another automobile, and at the same time he is given a clear view of any obstacles in his path. Furthermore this result is obtained in such a way that glaring or bright headlights from oncoming automobiles do not interfere with the vision of the operator as is the case with the ordinary headlights now in use.

objects by mounting on the rig t rear fender of the automobile a lamp "which is so arranged that it will throw its beam Bf light onto the roadway a short distance in advance of the automobile, and so ange the lamp that the area directly a ead of the automobileis in the shadow of the automobile whichis caused by the lamp. The lamp which I will preferably use is one similar to a so-called 'spot light, that is, one which will throw a strong beam of light that has relatively little divergence and will also throw out whatmay be termed, a secondary light that has much greater divergence but is of a soft character.

The lamp is so positioned that the strong beam of light Wlll strike the roadway a short distance in advance of the automobile and {11st outside of the line of travel of the whee s. A light thus laced illuminates perfectly the right han side of the roadwa and up to the line of travel of the right hand wheels of the automobile but does not illuminate' the area directly ahead of the automobile, the latter being illuminated by the ordinary head lights. Furthermore a light thus placed is not visible to' an oncoming automobile because it is hidden by the automobile body. Such a light throws a strong light where it is most needed, that is, on the right hand side of the road so that the operator always has a clear view of the right hand edge of the road. This makes it easy to drive at night because the operator can merely watch the right hand edge of the road and follow close to it without feeling any sense of danger that he may run into pedestrians, trees or any obstruction.

In order to give an. understanding of my invention I have illustrated in the drawings a selected embodiment thereof which will now be described after which the novel features will be pointed out in the appended claims.

Fig. 1 is a plan view of an automobile having my improvements appliedthereto.

Fig. 2 is a side view of the rear right fender having the lamp attached.

Fig. 3 is a section on the line 33, Fig. 2. Y

Fig. 4 is a side view of an automobile having my improvements. t

1 indicates in automobile having the usual headlights, 2 which may be of any suitable or usual construction.

3 indicates a lamp preferably somewhat I i on the order of the so-called spotli ht and which is constructed to throw a rilliant beam of light forwardly. This lamp 3 will preferably be constructed so that the beam of light thus projected will have relatively small divergence so that the area illuminated by the beam will be a limited one. ThlS lamp 3 is secured to the rear right fender 4 of the automobile and is so positioned that its beam of light will be directed downwardly past the right front fender and on to the roadway a short distance in front of the automobile. A lamp of the spotlight type not only sends out a. beam of light but also sends out a so called secondary light which illuminates a much greater area than the beam or shaft of light but to a much smaller degree.

.In the drawings the beam or shaft of light delivered from the lamp 3 is indicated between the lines 5 and 6 and this will produce on the roadway a highly illuminated spot indicated by the oval 20. The secondary light which has much greater divergence than the beam of light will light up an area extending to approximately the l1ne21.

By, placing the lamp 3 on the right rear fender close to the automobile body and giving it the position above described a highly illuminated area 20 is produced a short distance in front of the automobile and just outside the line of travel of the right'wheels and the automobile body and the front fender will cut oil the light from the area 7 directly in front of the automobile so that this area is not at all affected by the lamp 3. The usual headlights 2 serve to sufficiently illuminate the said area The so-called .secondary light will illuminate the area 8 between the line 21 and the line 6 which indicates the edge of the shadow cast by the automobile body. The entire area between the line 6 and 21 is therefore illuminated to a certain extent and in addition the portion of this area indicated by the oval 20 is highly illuminated by the beam of light. With this arrangement the division line 6 between the light area 8 and the unlighted area 7 will be approximately in line with the right hand side of the automobile and the bright rays from the lamp 3 will be concealed from any object which is directly ahead of the automobile. This area 7 ahead of the automobile is lighted by means of the usual head-lights 2 which can be made to fully comply with all legal requirements.

In operating an automobile having this method of lighting the roadway the operator finds it extremely easy to follow the roadway even on a foggy night because the right hand edge of the roadway is always highly illuminated and he can safely at ordinary speed by simply followin the line at the right hand edge of the roagway. Moreover the position of the lamp 3 is such that it is concealed from the view of anynated area .in front of and directly outside drive i thing directly in front of the automobile and therefore the bright rays from the light 3 do not interfere at all with the operation of an oncoming aiitomobile.

The lamp 3 may be attached to the rear fender 4 ,in any suitable way without departing from the invention. I have herein shown the fender as provided with an archshaped supporting bracket 9 having a slot 10'therein. The lamp 3 is provided with a. hollow stem llthrough "which the wires are laid to the lamp terminals and which is inserted through the slot 10. 12 and 13 indicate two clamping blocks through which the stem 11 passes and which are situated on either side of the slotted portion of the bracket 9. The collar or block 12 rests against a shoulder 14 formed on the stem 1]. and the two collars or blocks are clamped against the bracket by means of a clamping nut 15 which is screw threaded to the stem 11. These blocks 12 and 13 have rounded surfaces to fit the curvature of the bracket By means of this construction the lamp can be turned about a vertical axis so as to direct the li ht rays in the proper direction horizontal y and by adjusting the lamp longitudmal ly of the bracket the elevation of the beam of light is controlled. As stated above the lampis preferably placed so that the beam of light will be thrown slightly downwardly.

I claim;

1. The combination with an automobile having the usual front and rear fenders, of a projecting lamp mounted on the right rear fender and situated in the rear of the driver, said lamp operating to throw a beam of light from behind the driver and across the right front fender, said beam of light being entirely on the right 0 the driver, and in a vertical plane'substantially parallel to the direction of movement of the automobile therebyto produce a brightly illumithe line of travel of the automobile, the shadow of the right the left side of said brightly illuminate area, said lamp being so situated with reference to the automobile body that the road area directly in front of the automobile will be in the shadow thereof whereby said lamp 1s not visible to anyone directly in fr'ont'of the automobile.

2. The combination with 'an automobile having the usual front fenders, of a projecting lamp mounted on the right-hand side of the automobile below the top of the bod and situated in the rear of the driver, sai

lamp beingoperative to throw a beam of 111g entirely directed forward and downward front fender forming light from behind the driver and across the I right front fender, said beam. o light beon the right of the driver and whereby it will produce 'a brightly illuminated area in front of and directly outside the line of travel of the automobile, the shadow of the right front fender forming the left side of said brightly illuminated area, and said lamp being so situated with reference to the automobile body that the road area directly in front of the automobile will be in the shadow thereof, whereby said lamp is not visible to any one directly in front of the automobile.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto signed this specification.

HENRY P. J. EARNSHAW. 3 

